[Intro: Raekwon]

Word, I miss you, I miss the God

Word... a powerful brother, man, he was live

[Verse 1: Raekwon]

He was a powerful general

The smell from his breath was Ballantine

I think it was the year '89

He stayed the freshest, Polo boots

Wallys with them colorful 'Lo gooses

Coming from Medina, we'd boost

We up in A&S, slipping and dipping to Bed-Stuy

Native, he used to beatbox, thousands would listen

Yo, that's before the Wu got on

Him and Allah Just' and RZA came to the Island one morn'

A nigga could dance to slow music

Out-drink any nigga on the benches

While we hitting reefer, he sold loosies

Five-foot-seven, a legend was born

Russell "Ason" Jones, I know him for his braids and lessons

A wise man with Knowledge 120

Kept a flag on his chest

Would right hand you quick, serving you Remy

Yo, let's toast to the fallen, lost, forgotten

Aiyyo, if niggas can hear me, then roll up some broccoli

Ason – the heart of a lion, a purified mind

The way he did it, with a mic and some wine

I would never forget the days we used to sit back

Days I be all up in the crib, listening, holdin' a line in and yo

I just miss this nigga

And now, I understand the meaning of love when I kissed the nigga

[Interlude: Ol' Dirty Bastard sample]

"My name is Ol' Dirty Bastard, you know what I'm saying?

I don't hide nothing back

I, I barely—I mean, I come from a family, man...

Of, of, poor welfare, you know what I'm saying?

When I came out my mother's womb, I was on welfare

You know what I'm saying?

So—so—so, it's like, you got to keep it real! Ya nah mean?"

[Verse 2: Raekwon]

He had a heart of gold, intelligent soul from day one

Loud as the ferry, best friend was Mama Cherry

Sweet lady, BK baby

She taught Dirty how to cook, clean, singing the songs

Sadie old school dances and O.E

Ballantine, the wine, we sip, while we sat with the O.G.'s

Knowledge of self, good health

The fortunes that came with the game had my brother insane

It's like wealth ain't enough to live for

But if you got love in your heart, just believe in yourself

That was the Black man rap, Baby Jesus in the black Land

Few jewelry pieces with his gold fangs, his fam

("Brooklyn Zoo!")

You know my brother was ill

The first dude to say, "Yo, keep it real"

Yeah, the lover, the father, the hustler, the rap professor

Now, he with Allah, that's a blessing

[Outro: Ol' Dirty Bastard sample]

"See, it's like, okay... where I come from

In my neighborhood, my people know me

You know what I'm saying? See, if I try to come any different

They ain't gon' respect me no more

You know what I'm saying? Because they -- you know people

Got that thing about themselves, you know

If you come from the neighborhood, you know what I'm saying?

You couldn't, you couldn't get out the neighborhood

But you could never take the neighborhood out of the people

You know what I'm saying, but if you tried to like jump and crossover

To the other side, people won't understand that, and they don't like that

That's why they don't be buying people music

See, we keeps it real

And we always gon' keep it real

You can't knock what's real, you know what I'm saying?

We telling the truth, man"